As the Christmas spirit flourishes during the holiday season, it is not uncommon to see various nativity scenes appear in celebration of the holiday. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish one from the other, as they generally capture the same idea – but this particular nativity scene definitely stood out from the rest, thanks to one special little guest.

The residents from Criciuma, a small town in Santa Catarin, Brazil, were treated to an extra special sight when they happened to notice an interesting addition to the traditional nativity scene: a German Shepherd puppy.

Sleeping soundly, the baby German Shepherd was curled up against Baby Jesus.

Unfortunately, the young puppy was a stray, thus using the nativity scene as a temporary home during his nomadic travels. However, the adorable sight did generate a crowd, where someone was bound to adopt the little cutie on the spot.

These precious snapshots were taken way back in 2008, where the photos have since gone viral. While there is no direct confirmation, it is widely believed that the puppy was adopted, where he has hopefully had many happy Christmas Days since.

Overall, at least the little pup had someone watching over him for the night.